25th May 1915 Italy decares war on Austria-Hungary

[Brian Probetts (Site Admin)]

Hi team
Some more events from the centenary of WW1 for your interest
Regards
Peter Hogg
RNZNA South Canterbury
New Zealand


THIS MONTH IN HISTORY

23 May 1915 Italy declares war on Austria-Hungary

On May 23, 1915, Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary. The Italian declaration opened up a new front in World War I, stretching 600 kilometers—most of them mountainous—along Italy’s border with Austria-Hungary. Italy—which had become a unified nation only as recently as 1859—was, like Russia, not yet a fully industrialized power. It was certainly not prepared for large-scale warfare, and although it managed to mobilize 1.2 million men in the spring of 1915, it possessed equipment for just 732,000. Upon declaring war, the Italian army immediately advanced into the South Tyrol region and to the Isonzo River, where Austro-Hungarian troops met them with a stiff defense. The snowy and treacherous terrain made the region poorly suited to offensive operations, and after several quick Italian successes, combat settled into a stalemate.
24th May 1917 Royal Navy introduces new convoy system
On this day in 1917, driven by the spectacular success of the German U-boat submarines and their attacks on Allied and neutral ships at sea, the British Royal Navy introduces a newly created convoy system, whereby all merchant ships crossing the Atlantic Ocean would travel in groups under the protection of the British navy.
For more than three years of World War I, Britain’s Royal Admiralty steadfastly resisted the creation of a convoy system, believing they could not afford to spare ships and other resources from its mighty fleet where they might be needed in battle. The effect of the German U-boat submarines, however, and their attacks on merchant ships—both belligerent and neutral—proved devastating. With the entrance of the United States into the war in April 1917, there was an even greater need for protection of Allied interests at sea, as large numbers of soldiers and arms would need to be transported from the Atlantic coast to Europe. In early May 1917, it was announced that the previous month had seen the highest shipping losses of the war so far for Allied and neutral countries: 373 ships, or a total weight of 873,754 tons.
Consequently, on May 24, 1917, Britain introduced its convoy system. Under the new arrangements, a convoy of 10 to 50 merchant ships—along with, possibly, a troopship carrying arms and soldiers—might be escorted by a cruiser, six destroyers, 11 armed trawlers and a pair of torpedo boats with aerial reconnaissance equipment that could detect the movement of underwater submarines. Convoy gathering points were established along the Atlantic coast of North and South America, from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Hampton, Virginia, all the way down to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to handle the transport not only of men and arms but also of foodstuffs and horses, the basic supplies of the Allied war effort.
The introduction of the convoy system finally marked the beginning of a sharp decline in the scale of German submarine damage and the death of German hopes to starve Britain into submission. Between May 1917 and November 1918, a total of 1,100,000 American troops were transported across the Atlantic in convoy, and only 637 of them were drowned as a result of German attacks.

RAF aerial photograph of a convoy of five ships, 16 August 1918.

In response to the damage wrought on Allied shipping by the German campaign of 'unrestricted submarine warfare', the Royal Navy introduced a convoy system in June 1917. As this photograph illustrates, it worked by providing escort vessels for individual ships. These escorts not only guarded against surface gunfire attacks, but also dropped depth charges in areas where German 'U-boats' were known to operate. The convoy system resulted in a rapid decrease in German attacks on Allied shipping during the last 17 months of the war.
Catalogue reference: AIR 1/419/15/245/1 (16 Aug 1918)



31 May 1916 The Battle of Jutland. New Zealand’s most spectacular contribution to the war at sea was made indirectly through the activities of the battlecruiser HMS New Zealand which had been paid for by the people of the country. This gesture had been made in 1909 when it appeared that Germany might soon lead in the naval arms race.
HMS New Zealand

HMS New Zealand arrived in Wellington on 12 April 1913 as part of a 10-week tour during which an estimated 500,000 New Zealanders inspected their gift to Mother England

HMS New Zealand took part in all of the principal engagements between the British and German fleets during the war, including the Battle of Jutland. During the battle, the British lost more ships (14) than the Germans (11), but the German fleet was never again to be in a position to put to sea and to challenge the Royal Navy in the North Sea. Although tactically inconclusive, the Battle of Jutland was a strategic victory for the British.

The British lost 14 ships, with 6,094 killed. Germany lost 11 ships, with 2,551 killed. Among the fatalities in the British fleet were New Zealanders Stoker R. Carpendale, killed in action serving in HMS Black Prince (which was sunk during the battle), and Leading Stoker L. Follet who was killed when his ship, HMS Queen Mary, blew up during the battle.


HMS QUEEN MARY
In Memory of 303411 Petty Officer Stoker JOHN WILLIE HAYCROFT 1886 - 1916
Royal Navy

Who died aged 30 on 31st May 1916.On board H.M.S. Queen Mary when she was sunk by a shell which penetrated the forward magazine at the Battle of Jutland, of her 1275 crew only 9 survived



Remembered with Honour on The Portsmouth Naval Memorial

Rest in Peace

[Frederick Lacey]

A Quick Retaliation by Austria,

Tuesday. 25th May. 1915.
The Austrians have responded immediately to Italy's declaration of war by bombing the city of Venice. The Austrian
Taubers, flying at great height, provided a spectacle for the Venetians as they circled overhead, easily visible in the
light of early dawn. Then they dropped four bombs on the city and another seven in the bay and lagoon.
Guns of every description opened fire, and according to the Adriatico, "the sky of Venice was ablaze with war". The
only casualties were four ladies injured by glass. The dangers of modern warfare seemed lost on the Venetians, who
crowded on the bridges in a state of excitement.

F.